Internal communication plan – an element of building a strong company

Effective communication starts with a plan. This, in turn, boils down to the formulation of objectives and strategic and tactical actions to help achieve those objectives. Effectively planned internal communication helps in sending and receiving the right information, by the right people, at the right time and in the correct form. Clearly defined guidelines help save time and energy for the implementation of key tasks within the scope of performed duties. How is this possible? communication plan makes the communication process itself almost automatic and seamless. Which in turn contributes to more effective achievement of the company's business goals.

What will you learn from the article?

In a world where the dynamics of change in the business environment are faster than ever, effective internal communication is no longer just an option - it is becoming an absolute necessity. Properly planned and executed internal communication not only allows for more efficient team management, but also translates into increased employee engagement and, most importantly, increased sales. In this post, we will outline why internal communication is so important, what is communication plan and how it should be structured to realistically support your organisation's business objectives. We will also discuss common mistakes to watch out for when designing a communication plan. We will look at the practical steps needed to develop an effective internal communications strategy that will help your business succeed in the marketplace.

Why does internal communication matter?

Organised internal communication is a key element for any organisation as it allows for the efficient exchange of information between employees. Effective internal communication However, it requires not only the right tools, but also the development of the right organisational culture. In order to achieve effective internal communication, it is worth investing in interpersonal skills training, developing an authentic relationship with employees and building an open and transparent feedback culture. This will all contribute to increased team engagement and the effectiveness of the organisation as a whole.

The planning phase is preceded by an in-depth analysis of the baseline situation and the effectiveness of the communication tools used to date. This is done during an audit internal communication. The objectives and the direction in which we are heading are then defined. In order to choose the right internal communication tools, we need to characterize the recipients and determine what kind of information we want to send and receive to them. An important element of the plan is also to indicate the forms of monitoring the effects of communication and the effectiveness of the tools used. Therefore, plan your communication tools so that you can measure this effectiveness.

Specifying what yours is communication strategywhere and how members of your team are to communicate, you limit the possibility of working in the information noise and chaos. Thanks to this, you also inspire your employees to build valuable relationships. Efficient internal communication it is, after all, essential in achieving strategic and tactical goals. Her the strategy also takes into account communication plan crisis.

What is a communication plan?

communication plan is part of the management of any project. It defines how you will communicate the next steps. It can be aimed at one group e.g. the media or stakeholders. However, it can also apply to all groups, ie:

• shareholders,
• media,
• residents,
• employees (internal communication)
• business partners,
• e.t.c.

Many people make simple communication plansalthough they don't even realise it! Corporate communication often runs into the same problems over and over. Hence, employers create guidelines for employees, in which they specify which channels can be used to communicate with each member of the team. Thanks to this, it gets better corporate culture and your image in the eyes of employees, as well as the atmosphere at work.

Sales departments also create such plans for customers, because one prefers when marketing communication takes place by e-mail, while others enjoy face-to-face meetings or long conversations. By choosing the right information channel, you prevent a situation in which, for example, important information has been transferred to a company e-mail that no one uses.

Do you need a communication plan?

According to Workforce, 60 per cent of companies do not have a long-term communication strategy. When a problem arises, they respond in real time by sending random emails to customers or employees. This may be enough for you, but will probably generate a lot of stress. Communication will be delayed because you have to plan what you will say and how you will say it on the fly. Having communication plan, having to clarify the situation at later stages of the project does not surprise you. You can even hire or delegate the right people to do this in advance, so that at the crucial moment you only need to complete the ready-made templates.

Your PR department will appreciate it if they know specifically and in advance what they need to work on. If you are operating at the interface between the private and public sectors and your projects affect the local community, for example, then you need to prepare a communication plan. Journalists and activists can demand to see this document to keep their finger on the pulse of events. With major projects, everything has to be formal and leave a trace in the documents. You can't 'casually' notify a friend of the area, hoping that the others will somehow find out about the project. You need to set out how you will communicate with them, when you will start and what the marketing communication channels. In case of any problems, you must have confirmation that the meetings have taken place and that information posters have been posted.

It won't always be all of these elements, but this is a framework, a proven template for a plan. In terms of the tools needed to create a communication planThey are very simple. Often it is a simple document in Word or Excel, which your graphic designer can then graphically encapsulate, giving it a slightly more interesting form. communication plan you can also create in tools such as Asana, Wrike or Trello, where you define individual tasks and assign them to specific employees. You can then track progress, and when it's time to act, you'll receive a reminder. Of course communication plan You can also create on a piece of paper, a white board or a wall sheet.

What are the elements of an internal communications plan?

Key elements include communication plan internal include: 

1. Goals, considered at the information, motivational and activating level, which should be defined on the basis of a needs analysis. 

2. Addressees, which can be employees of all levels as well as subcontractors, distribution network and business partners, management board and supervisory boards. 

3. Resources that we have or need to achieve specific communication goals (people, tools, ideas), 

4. The budget that we are able to allocate to strengthen the internal communication process and implement individual tools. 

5. Communication tools that should be tailored to the needs and preferences of each target group. These can be, for example, a website, engaging content in social media (photos, videos, texts, infographics, reports), training, meetings. 

6. A schedule in which we assign specific time frames to individual activities, while maintaining the need to repeat some of them and implement them over a longer or shorter period of time. 

7. Results, that is, the indication of expectations in relation to communication and the effects we strive for. Only knowing what exactly we want to achieve can we achieve it. 

8. Evaluate the implementation of the plan and the effectiveness of the tools used, the conclusions of which will help to create the next communication plans. 

How to develop an effective internal communication plan? 

communication plan Internally, it can be developed in a few simple steps. Consider the objectives you plan to achieve, the resources at your disposal and the needs and preferences of your target group. According to these criteria, select the tools you will use to build the system internal communication in your company. Not all elements of communication may be necessary.  

Then, carefully familiarize yourself with the capabilities of each tool and train all employees in their proper use. Also define the rules for using each tool - when to use instant messaging and different types of applications, when e-mail, how often to hold face-to-face meetings and teleconferences, what to put on notice boards, and what forms of feedback to expect. 

Describe all assumptions and share communication plan to all employees, discussing in detail all the guidelines it contains. Declare that the document presented is a flexible tool and everyone has a real say in modifying it. Establish a path for sending comments on the plan to be implemented. On the basis of the information received, update it and inform employees of any modification made.

Stages of building an internal communication strategy

The first thing you will need is a target of communication plan. It is a question of whether you need to make the business environment feel positive about the project, or whether you need to reliably inform stakeholders about the next steps or enable the flow of practical information. This will make it easier for you to select measures and tools later on. This will create a coherent communication strategy.  In addition to the obvious steps, such as the selection of audience, media and message, you also need to define the resources and sources that you will use.

Perhaps there is an unused billboard on your company premises or a large-format advertisement can be placed on the wall of a building. Or perhaps you have good contacts in the local media. You can make use of all this if you plan ahead in your strategy. Some people end up creating their communication plan. If you want to go one step further, smash communication plan into concrete steps that you can plan and allocate to your employees right away. E.g. 'contacting the media' is a broad concept. However, you can divide this subsection into steps: defining the media interested in this information, finding phone numbers and addresses for the relevant people, creating a news package, sending out news packages, answering journalists' questions....

What does the communication plan look like in practice?

Expanded communication plan is usually in the form of a table, in which you will find fields such as:

• recipients;
• communication way;
• communication channels;
• remedial actions for communication problems;
• communication goals.

They will not always be all these elements, but it is a framework, proven pattern of the plan. When it comes to tools needed to create a communication planThey are very simple. Often it is a simple document in Word or Excel, which your graphic designer can then graphically encapsulate, giving it a slightly more interesting form. communication plan you can also create in tools such as Asana, Wrike or Trello, where you define individual tasks and assign them to specific employees. You can then track progress, and when it's time to act, you'll receive a reminder. Of course communication plan You can also create on a piece of paper, a white board or a wall sheet.

Why is content creation so important?

Content creation is becoming a key element of effective internal communication. It is clear that the aim communication plan is not only to inform employees, but also to engage them and build a strong organisational culture. Clear communication within the company translates into better cooperation between departments and, in turn, increased efficiency across the organisation.

Advantages communication plan are invaluable. Not only does it allow for a more streamlined flow of information, but also for the creation of content in line with the expectations and needs of the team. As such, every company should develop and implement effective internal communication strategies to ensure transparency, clarity of message and ultimately, success in the marketplace.

Sample plan of internal communication 

In communication plan Internally, specific information and promotion activities are presented, relating to the specific project we intend to present to the audience, in this case the internal environment (employees, management, investors, subcontractors). It is best illustrated by a concrete example, which can serve as a kind of matrix: 

Deadline: first quarter of 2022 

Communication goals: improving communication of the personnel responsible for direct contact with the client, increasing interest in individual promotion channels - Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, website. 

Addressees: management board, sales department employees, customer service employees 

Tools: team building training, training in building a personal brand in social media, updating information posted on the website, conducting engaging activities in social media, organizing regular information and consultation meetings. 

Detailed schedule of meetings and publications (dividing the entire quarter into individual days and assigning individual tasks to specific dates, taking into account their regularity and cyclicality). 

Assumed effectiveness assessment indicators: number of participants in information and consultation meetings, number of trained employees, number of recipients of content on the website and in social media, reach in social media. 

Conclusions, i.e. a discussion of the effects of the application of individual activities together with comments that will help to improve individual processes in the future, e.g. meetings of less numerous groups bring better communication results. 

If the communication activities in your company so far do not work as they should, it is worth carrying out marketing audit. Based on it, you will implement the necessary modifications and start achieving your goals. 

Organisational culture and communication plan

Organisational culture is the foundation on which the communication plan in the company. It is the values, norms and beliefs prevalent in the organisation that determine how information is communicated and received. To communication plan be effective, it must be consistent with the organisational culture, ensuring authenticity and acceptance among employees. It is worth using the tools available, such as templates for communication planswhich make it easier to adapt the strategy to the company's specificities.

The role of leaders in internal communication

Leaders play a key role in the implementation of internal communication strategy. Their involvement and the way in which they convey information influence the effectiveness of the entire communication plan. Using appropriate templates for communication plans, leaders can ensure consistency and clarity of messages, which minimises the risk of misunderstandings. In addition, leaders can inspire and motivate the team to actively participate in the communication process, resulting in better organisational performance.

Watch out for these mistakes when creating a communication plan

The first common mistake is not having a set objective for the communication campaign. Neither you nor your employees actually know what to communicate or why it is important. This fosters a situation in which communication plan becomes just a dead document. If you do not create communication plan just to tick off that task on the list, avoid the cliché. When reviewing plan after plan, you may come across the same slogans over and over again, especially in the section describing what the communication should be. Simple, honest and clear - the obvious! Go one step further.

Set communication standards. Look at the communication tools used in the organisation so far - do they actually contribute to the business strategy? What would help to make communication more efficient? How can individual employee groups contribute? Are you including them in strategy development? After all, internal communication standards do not only apply to management. Perhaps improving internal communication should now be a priority in a company's business strategy. Appropriate internal communication This is because it translates directly into achieving the business objectives of the entire organisation.

Consider how you should actually communicate with the following groups. Define the differences and expectations and then describe the form of communication in detail. This may seem difficult at first, so much so that you may run out of adjectives! Soon, however, with this exercise you will be able to quickly create tailored communication plansand then draw on them for inspiration and new data. If you are struggling to build such a strategy, we will be happy to help you.